SPIRIT- The House of Hope

Eighteen

Cameryn

"Okay!" Darrien announces, with a slight stutter "I finished making our dinner!"

Serena sits down excitedly.
"Oooh! It looks amazing!" I nod in agreement.
"She does have a point Darrien" I feel like my tone gave away my true feelings, he can tell I know it.

"Thanks" he replies passing Serena some of the small roast he'd made "here" she thanks him and digs in immediately.

"Big brother...?" Cairo asks nervously

"Yeah?"

"Is there any pepper in this...?"

"Of course not" Cairo sighs with a smile.

"Good" and he starts on his own, followed by Ani, Darrien and I.

"Still hate pepper?" I ask, he nods in response.
"Too spicy, can't stand the stuff" Cairo laughs.

Serena's done before any of us.
"I'm going to go sit by the lake if anyone wants to join me?" Cairo shook his head.
"No thank you, I think I'm going to go play with Nike. Nighttime is his favourite time of day...obviously." Ani stood up to follow.

"Cairo, wait a moment, I will go with you!" Serena shrugs and walks off since Darrien and I were still eating.

"So...um..." Darrien started, looking into the fire below us.

"Yes?"

"I wanted to...apologise. I know we haven't been getting along lately and I've lashed out at you more times than I can count."

"I get it"

"Can...you forgive me?"

"I...don't know, maybe if you answer something?"

Darrien started to go white.
"W-What is it?"

"You won't forgive Joeri for what he said, the reason you gave me was because it was true...right?"

Darrien nodded.
"I mean...I think it is" He sighed and looked away "I feel more like myself right now than I've felt for a long time...but at the same time when I lost my cool at Serena every part of me was screaming to stop yet I couldn't...maybe I am turning and maybe I just hated Joeri being right"

"Or maybe you're not"

"Huh?" Darrien asked, staring at me in confusion. I reached my arms up behind my head, tightening the hair tie holding my brown locks back.

"Yeah, maybe you're not. You're being over the top about this because you've been...more aggressive"

"What do you mean?" he asked "I don't understand"

"Darrien, the curse isn't gone, we know that but we also know that it will do anything to convince you that you're not so different from it right?"
"Yes"

"So, that's what it's done. With everything you've been through I understand you being a little aggressive. But the curse might be using that against you, trying to make you think something is happening to you..." I trailed off hoping he would click and finish the sentence.

"But instead...I'm doing to myself, right?"

"Exactly! I'm not saying don't be careful. And I'm certainly not saying don't feel bad but I am saying that you shouldn't drop all of this stress on your shoulders"

"O-Okay...thanks Cameryn, so...do you...forgive me...?" I sigh.

"Not quite yet. Give me a little bit of time, I need to...process my feelings a little"